Lovely ride in park with wildflowers alongside

Spring in Texas is blooming

Today we had a 9:30 a.m. start because we rode to Bastrop State Park and we all had to go in together so that they could pay for us all at one time. It was only three miles from the hotel, an easy ride along the road, and then we turned on smooth walkways, under trees, along winding paths, and yes, up hills and down hills as usual - pant pant - because this is the Texas Hill Country.
    It was lovely to be off the roads and away from traffic. I cycled along behind a few riders and then rode by myself as they took off and then met other riders along the way. The park is huge and there's a golf course and trails for hiking, and a lake and it joins Buescher Park which is another beautiful area that's been preserved. However a big fire came through a couple of years ago and burned the tall Lost Pines as they are called and while they have been reseeding and replanting new tiny trees, the tall bare black trunks are a depressing reminder of the power of fire in a forest. However, along the sides of the roads new spring flowers were beginning to open, and on the roadways everywhere, because of Lady Bird Johnson's efforts years ago, there are beautiful Texas bluebonnets and pink flowers and wild yellow flowers blooming along side the cars. I also keep seeing the Cactus Rose, which grows in Colorado, a beautiful white flower rising out of a green cactus-like leaf on a green stem. And there are big birds with long tails flying around and calling to each other, and sitting in the palm trees - which they also have here.
     We had a challenging and peaceful 15-mile ride through the park and then came out on the country farm road to ride to Winchester, a town, as its teeshirts proclaim, of 50 people. There was  a sign to a café on the right so we turned off the road and there were lights on though it was supposed to be shut. The nice woman whose father owns the place opened it for us. It was a funkily delightful old-fashioned stores with horses from a carousel on the porch to be ridden, and a small carousel round the corner, and teeshirts with "Winchester Population 50" as well as homemade icecream - I had mint chocolate chip which was delicious - coffee, cookies and things like packaged macaroni and cheese. Every year thousands of riders do a fundraising bicycle trip on this route for MS so she was quite used to sweaty women needing sustenance along the way - and we sat around the old wooden tables and relaxed for half an hour.
      Then I rode on along Route 153 through Winchester, and then on to US 77 which was way too busy and had a rough and unfriendly shoulder most of the way. Then we turned off on the Frontage Road and there was the Best Western and the Van and Wagon waiting in the parking lot.
     This place has washing machines on my floor and I'm next in line to wash out some riding clothes - and have had a hot bath and shower, feel quite refreshed and there's dinner outside at 6 p.m. which Linda Super Chef is preparing for us all.
      The weather was cloudy and in the 70s and perfect for riding - except for the gusty winds which every now and then would attack me as I climbed up a hill so that I could hardly keep moving. It's part of the traditional weather for this area apparently.  I'm learning how to change gear smoothly to get up hills - though I did mess it up once and had to put my chain back on again, which I can now do. I'm going to buy some plastic gloves for things like that - which Helen lent me today - so I don't have to get covered in bike grease every time. Things I am Learning Along the Way.
      Tomorrow we go on to Navasota and actually have another day off which is nice. And then, then we will be approaching the end of Texas and moving on into another state. Yay y'all.